Receptacle closure



April 1939. H, s. GANSZ RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed Aug. 26, 1957 INVENTOR. Harry 6'. 64/252 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

It is common practice to supply screw threaded lids or covers for various receptacles in which products such as tooth paste, shaving cream, and the like are sold. By reason of the fact that it is necessary to unscrew such caps in order to discharge some of the contents of the tube, it is not uncommon for such caps to be dropped upon the floor, thus coming in contact with contaminated substances as well as in some instances being lost. In addition, such closure devices are very unsightly and it is very common for an accumulation of the substance being discharged, to accumulate around the screw threaded portion of the. tube, thus making a very disagreeable package. There are various other objections to closures of the type indicated.

The present invention is designed to supersede the conventional screw cap of the character referred to and at the same time to obviate the various objections noted herein as well as various other objections.

While the invention about to be disclosed herein is shown as applied to a tube such as ordinarily used for tooth paste, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to application to that particular art or field.

An object of the invention is to provide a closure that is very simple in parts, use and assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be economically produced.

Another object is to provide a device which will provide a substantial seal against the atmosphere.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to and for the purposes indicated and which may be very cheaply and expeditiously manufactured.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein; and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a collapsible tube having the device of the present invention applied to the same.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 -3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the device in open position preparatory to discharging some of the contents of the tube.

1 Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of a base member forming a detail of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a slide forming a detail of, the invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 'l! of Fig. 6.

The customary collapsible tube [0, provided with the customary externally threaded neck ll is commonly used for shaving creams, tooth paste, and the like. 7

The base I2 is provided with a bore l3 therethrough. The lower end of the bore is screw threaded as shown at M, and a shoulder l5 at the inner end of the enlarged screw threaded portion of the bore l3 provides means for mounting the base 12 upon the conventional screw threaded neck I l of the tube It] so that the reduced upper portion l6 of the bore l3 will be aligned with the mouth ll of the tube ID. In other words, the base I2 is detachably mounted upon the tube ID with an opening through the base aligned with the opening in the tube so that the contents of the tube may be discharged through the'opening in the base by exerting pressure upon the contents ate and is so formed that as the slide 22 pivots about its trunnions while received in the pockets 20, the inner-face 24 of the slide 22 will snugly pass over the face 23 of the base l2. A suitable stop or abutment face 25 is provided along one of the upper edges of the base l2 by means of a lug 26 formed upon the base. The forward end 21 of the slide 22 is adapted to engage or contact the abutment face 25 on the base. At the rear end of the inner surface 24 of the slide 22, there is provided a sealing flange 28 adapted to be received in a complementary pocket or recess 29 formed at one end of the arcuate face 23 of the base l2. The parts are so proportioned that when the forward or shearing face 21 of the slide 22 abuts or contacts the face 25 on the base l2, the flange 28 on the slide will be lodged in the pocket or recess 29 of the base 12. A suitable finger grip or rib 29a formed on the slide 22 and extending transversely thereof provides a means for readily moving the slide relative to the base. Suitable means are provided upon the base and the slide for retaining the slide in closing position upon the base. Such means may be varied in form, and as shown herein, comprise a pair of ribs or lugs 30, one each of which is disposed upon a side face of the base and which is adapted to be received in a complementary pocket or recess 3] formed in the inner side faces 32 of the arm members 33 of the slide.

Preferably, the base and slide are made of materials that may be molded, for example, Bakelite, hard rubber, synthetic resins or formaldehyde condensation products. All of these products have slight inherent spring characteristics which will readily permit the snug fitting slide 22 to nevertheless be extended laterally or otherwise to sufficient extent to permit lodging and separation of the ribs or lugs 30 relative to the pockets 3|.

The trunnions 2| are preferably so proportioned when the base and slide are mounted upona tube, as shown in Fig. 2, that the upper conical portion 34 of the tube will prevent separation of the trunnions from the pockets 20 when the slide is moved to position for uncovering the port or opening l6 in the base.

When the carrier and slide are detached from a tube, the slide and base may be readily separated merely by moving the slide to position for uncovering or opening the port l6 and at such time the trunnions 2| may be moved lengthwise of the pockets 20 for separating the slide from the base. In order to assemble the parts, the procedure is reversed.

In practical application, the closure device may be initially applied or attached to a container such as the collapsible tube l0. Under such conditions, the parts may be so related and formed that some means other than a screw threaded connection is relied upon for mounting the base l2 upon the tube l0. Unless the device is intended to be detachable from the tube for use on other tubes, the relationship of the tube, slide and base may be varied from that disclosed in Fig. 1, it being essential only that the slide shall be movable relative to the base portion in substantial compliance with the disclosure herein.

In those instances where the device is offered to the trade independently of a tube, it is intended that the customary commercial screw threaded cap be discarded and the herein disclosed device be attached to the tube in lieu of the discarded cap.

While the invention has been disclosed herein and described only in connection with collapsible tubes, it is to beunderstuod that the device is readily adaptable to various types and kinds of dispensing devices with which a simple and effective closing means is desired. Forexample, closing devices of the typedisclosed herein may be attached to receptacles used to dispense granular or powdered substances such as sugar, tooth powder and the like, and also it may be used in the dispensing of fluids.

By reason of the fact thatthe parts are very simple and can be easily molded or formed of very inexpensive substances, and because the same canbe interchangeably applied to Various containers,such devices are readily adaptable'to various businesses.

.What is claimed is:

l. A closure device of the class described comprising a base having opposed flattened walls, and an arcuate face between said walls, each wall having a pocket formed therein, the base being provided with an opening extending therethrough and in the direction of extension of said opposed walls, and a slide comprising a yoke portion with a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a pair.

of arms each of the arms having a side area substantially coextensive with the arcuate face.

of the base to provide edge seals therefor, a trunnion formed at the free end of each arm and received in the pockets formed in the base, the

yoke portion of the slide having a sealing face adapted to be moved over the opening through the base, by turning the trunnions in the pockets, and means at the leading and trailing edges of the slide for completing the sealing'of the arcuate face of the base.

2. A molded base and slide, each made of a product of the class of synthetic resins, hard rubber and formaldehyde condensates, the base being provided with a bore extending through it, the bore being provided at one end thereof with complementary means for detachable mounting of the base on a dispensing container, the outer face of the base comprising flattened sides having a pair of opposed open sided pockets formed therein part way through said sides, an arcuate exposed face with which said bore communicates and an abutment at one end of said arcuate face, the slide being generally of U-shaped cross section and having the yoke portion thereof provided with an internal face complementary to the arcuate face of the base and the arms of the slide having side areas substantially coextensive with the length of the arcuate face of the base to seal said face along opposite edges thereof,

inwardly extending trunnions formed upon the free ends of the arms, the trunnions and pockets being complementary whereby the slide may be pivotally attached to the base with the complementary faces of the base and yoke movable over one another for sealing and opening the bore in the base, the abutment on the base limiting the movement of the slide in sealing direction and effecting a seal continuous with the seal between the side areas of the arms and the arcuate face of the base, when the slide is closed over said face.

3. The combination with a receptacle having a mouth and a wall extending laterally from said mouth, of a molded base and slide each made of a moldable plastic of the class of synthetic resins, hard rubber and formaldehyde condensates, the base comprising a bored block having a pair of opposed flat planar sides with open sided pockets formed therein part way through said sides, and an arcuate exposed face on said block having edges meeting the flat planar sides aforesaid, one end of the bore of the block being extended through the exposed arcuate face substantially at right angles thereto, and the other end including means for detachably mounting the block over the mouth of the receptacle, the slide comprising a one-piece rigid molded element having a pair of depending arms of a width approximating the length of the arcuate face of the block, and a yoke portion connecting the upper ends of said arms and spacing them apart a distance closely approximating the distance between the opposed planar sides of the block so as to effect a seal along the full length of themeeting edges of the arcuateface and the opposed sides of the block, cooperative sealing means on the yoke and the arcuate face of the block, furnishing, with the arms, a continuous its opposite faces, the pockets opening toward the said container wall when the closure device is mounted on the receptacle, the base having an opening therethrough for communication at one end with the mouth of the receptacle, the slide comprising a yoke portion and spaced arms, the

pockets in the base while at the same time contacting the top of said receptacle wall when the closure device is mounted upon the receptacle neck, and the yoke portion of the slide being movable about said trunnions as bearings for exposing and covering the other end of the opening in the base.

HARRY G. GANSZ. 

